Alabaster tiles



(No Model.)

B. TOPI.

HARDENING AND COLORING ALABASTER TILES. No. 452,295. Patented May 12, 1891.

naw/wow whine 3004 EZZ/OVG/ P UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ETTORE TOPI, OF DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF THREE-FOURTHS TO A. N. THOMPSON AND A. M. HEWITT,

OF SAME PLACE.

HARDENING AND COLORING'ALABASTER TILES.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,295, dated May 12, 1891.

I Application filed September 12, 1890- Serial No. 364,714. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ETTORE TOPI, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe, State of Colorado,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tiles and Methods of Making Same, of which the following is a specification,

reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings. I

to This invention has for its object the production of an alabaster tile impregnated with a suitable dye and having its surface preferably polished. By alabaster I mean the alabaster rock indigenous to the mountains of I5 Colorado; but I do not intend to limit myself to this particular rock, my invention being of such scope as to include alabaster or other White rock of such a construction as will absorb throughout its entire texture a suitable 2o dye. I aim at the production of a tile which shall be so saturated or impregnated with the dye that as the surface wears away the appearance of the tile shall not be changed.

The novelty in the present instance resides in the method of producing the tile as well as in the tile itself.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, I have shown in Figure 1 a perspective view of a plain uncol- 3o ored tile, and in Fig. 2 a plan view of a colored tile.

In carrying out my invention I first prepare the blocks of alabaster or other white rock in any suitable manner, as by sawing into the requisite size and shape, and smooth them all over the surface. The blocks are then subjected to the action of heat-for in stance, by being placed in a hot 0venin order to expel all the moisture which is normally contained in the stone. The blocks are then removed from the oven and are allowed to cool off. They are then solid blocks of anhydrous sulphate of lime. After being cooled the blocks are soaked in the coloringmatter four or five times, or more if required, and then put aside for a sufficient length of timesay two or three hours, more or 1essin order to give the coloring-matter time to impregnate or penetrate and get dry. After this time has elapsed the blocks are immersed in water, where they are left for at least twenty-four hours. hen taken from the water, the blocks are very much harder than in their original state, owing to theaction of the water upon the anhydrous sulphate of lime and the coloring-matter filling the pores of the stone.

Different colors and shades may be given to the blocks. Vhite is the natural color and does not need to go through any coloring-mat- 6o ter, simply immersed in the water to harden it. For red I generally use cochineal, madder, redwood, and alum. Yellow is made of fustic, saffron, and alum. Blue is made of logwood and alum. Another kind of dark blue is made out of logwood, nut-gall, and sulphate of iron and alum. Logwood and sulphate of iron make an excellent imitation of gray marble. Other shades of color can be obtained according to the more or less density of the coloring-matter.

The blocks are susceptible of a high polish.

In order to polish them, I usually take a suitable rubbing device, as a bunch of rush-grass, and soak it in Water and go all over the surface until it is very smooth. For polishingmatter I take a suitable calcareous substance,

as the knee-bone of an ox, cow, or calf, and calcine it and then grind it very fine. The dust is then mixed with rain-Water and soap in suitable proportions and this paste ground until it is very fine and free of grit. Then by applying this paste on a piece of cloth and rubbing it over the stone as above prepared it will take a very high polish in a short time. 8 5 I then warm the blocks at a moderate heat and apply thereto an unctuous' substance (spermaceti I have found to be best suited to the purpose) in a melted state. The blocks are then allowed to cool off, after which they are rubbed off to remove all trace of the unctuous substance.

Alabaster blocks prepared in this manner may be used for tiling, mantels, balusters, stair-railings, and for many other inside orna- 5 mental purposes, and have proved Very durable. llhe. blocks being impregnated with the moisture fromjthe alabaster, then soaking the eoloring-i'natter,as the surface becomes thesame iula suitable eoloringfnratterfthen worn the appearance of the block is not immersing the alabaster in water, next apohanged. After the polish is worn off: they plyingapaste and an unctuous substance, and 5 may be repolished, if desired. rubbing the same, substantially as specified. fiYhQ-EI claim as 11.e\.v ,is, I; a i J ei. 'lhp herein-described nietl ogl of ,m al cing an iinprovedfartide otnianu'fa'cture; alabaster tiles, 'nhieh 'eonsist's in removing a tile of alabaster hardened; iii]pregnated themoisture;soakingin coloring mattergdrywith a suitable dye, and having its surface ing, subjecting to the action of .water, apply- [0 polished, substantially as specified. ing a paste, rubbing, applying at a moderate 2. The hereindescribed method of making heata n unetuous substance cooling, and then alabaster tiles, which consists"inrmoring "rubbing: as set-forth. i the moisture from the alabaster, then sub- Intestimony WhereofIaffix my signature in jecting the same to the action of Water to presence of two Witnesses. I 5 harden it, and-then"polishingih'e alabaster, 1 'EFTQRE' TOPI.

as set forth. 1 MWitnesses. a y

3. The herein-described method of making 7 FRED THOMPSON, alabastertiles, which consists in removing W. 13. HEWITT. I

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